Startup key combinations for Intel-based Macs

You can use the following startup key combinations with Intel-based Macs.

Keystroke	Description
Press C during startup	Start up from a bootable CD, DVD, or USB thumb drive (such as OS X install media).
Press D during startup	Start up in Apple Hardware Test (AHT).
Press Option-Command-P-R until you hear startup sound a second time.	Reset NVRAM
Press Option during startup	Start up in Startup Manager, where you can select an OS X volume or network volume to start from.
Press Eject, F12, or hold the mouse or trackpad button	Ejects any removable media, such as an optical disc.
Press N during startup	Attempt to start up from a compatible network server (NetBoot).
Press T during startup	Start up in Target Disk Mode.
Press Shift during startup	Start up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items.
Press Command-V during startup	Start up in Verbose mode.
Press Command-S during startup	Start up in Single-User mode.
Press Option-N during startup	Start from a NetBoot server using the default boot image.
Press Command-R during startup	Start from the OS X Recovery System1

Available on Macs that ship with OS X Lion. Some CPUs require an EFI BootROM update to support this feature.